LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The 29-year-old man accused of beginning a hearth that ultimately become the lethal and harmful Palisades Hearth pleaded not responsible Thursday in a Los Angeles courtroom.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, a former resident of Pacific Palisades, was arrested in Florida earlier this month.
Jonathan Rinderknecht may now withstand 45 years in jail for the Palisades Hearth after a federal grand jury indicted him and added further fees.
He’s charged with one depend of destruction of property via fireplace, one depend of arson affecting property utilized in interstate commerce and one county of timber set afire.
If convicted on all fees, Rinderknecht faces as much as 45 years in federal jail.
Throughout his first courtroom look in Los Angeles Thursday, Rinderknecht’s lawyer, Steven Haney, tried to argue towards detention, which was ordered on October 9 by a Florida decide.
Haney mentioned his shopper has no historical past of psychological well being points or drug use and has no prior legal document, and that he is charged with a hearth that occurred seven days after the hearth he is accused of beginning.
U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Rozella A. Oliver determined to proceed the prior decide’s order to stay in custody.
Simply because the arraignment was about to start, Rinderknecht interrupted and mentioned, “Can I really say one thing about detainment?”
Rinderknecht’s lawyer tried to cease him then requested the decide for a break, which they took.
Rinderknecht got here again to the courtroom and entered a plea of not responsible.
A trial date has been set for December 16. The trial is anticipated to final seven to 10 days.
Timeline of Rinderknecht’s alleged actions main as much as fireplace
Rinderknecht began the Lachman Hearth within the early morning hours of Jan. 1 after working as an Uber driver the night time earlier than, based on the federal legal criticism.
Performing U.S. Legal professional Invoice Essayli mentioned two of his passengers informed regulation enforcement that he appeared agitated and indignant that night time. After he dropped off a passenger within the Pacific Palisades, Essayli mentioned Rinderknecht parked his automotive and tried however didn’t contact a former buddy.
Then, Rinderknecht exited his automotive, walked up a path, took iPhone movies from a close-by hilltop and listened to a “rap tune, whose music video included objects being lit on fireplace.”
Essayli mentioned Rinderknecht listened to the tune and watched the music video repeatedly within the days main as much as the Lachman Hearth.
After the Lachman Hearth ignited, Rinderknecht referred to as 911 to report the blaze however didn’t get service. Cellphone information present Rinderknecht was the one individual within the space the place the hearth began.
He fled the scene in his automotive however rotated when he noticed fireplace engines method, Essayli mentioned.
“Whereas the Lachman Hearth burned, the defendant walked up the identical path from earlier that night time to look at the hearth and firefighters,” Essayli mentioned, including that Rinderknecht recorded movies of the scene utilizing his iPhone.
“Though firefighters suppressed the blaze, the hearth continued to smolder and burn underground inside the root construction of the dense vegetation,” Essayli mentioned throughout a press convention earlier this month. “It smoldered underground for a couple of week till on January 7, heavy winds prompted this underground fireplace to floor and unfold above floor, inflicting what turned referred to as the Palisades Hearth – one of the vital harmful fires in Los Angeles Metropolis historical past.”
Within the criticism, the ATF calls the Palisades Hearth a “holdover fireplace.” The criticism exhibits photos of the burn scar and the place each fires began.
Throughout an interview Jan. 24, Rinderknecht informed investigators the place the hearth started, data not but public and that he wouldn’t have identified if he hadn’t witnessed it, the criticism mentioned.
He lied about his location, claiming he was close to the underside of the mountain climbing path, Essayli mentioned.
The suspect was visibly anxious throughout that interview, based on the criticism. His efforts to name 911 and his query to ChatGPT a couple of cigarette lighting a hearth indicated he “wished to protect proof of himself attempting to help within the suppression of the hearth and he wished to create proof concerning a extra harmless rationalization for the reason for the hearth,” the criticism mentioned.
Investigators decided the Jan. 1 fireplace was deliberately lit, doubtless by a lighter taken to vegetation or paper, based on the legal criticism. They excluded different prospects, together with fireworks, lightning and energy strains. Authorities additionally regarded into whether or not a cigarette could have prompted the hearth, however concluded that was not the trigger, the criticism says.
Investigators discovered a “barbecue-style” lighter contained in the glove compartment of Rinderknecht’s automotive on Jan. 24. It seemed to be the identical lighter as one which was in his condominium on Dec. 31, primarily based on a photograph on his cellphone. He admitted to bringing a lighter with him when he walked up the hill.
Federal prosecutors additionally allege that the suspect’s ChatGPT log exhibits he created a picture depicting a burning forest and crowds fleeing it.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2025 KABC Tv, LLC. All rights reserved.
